Malucci and the minor
by cein
Summary: Dave brings a very special patient into the ER
1. Malucci and the Minor - 1

Malucci and the Minor  
  
Dr Dave Malucci walked in to the ER one evening. This in itself was not unusual. What was unusual was that he wasn't on duty. What was even more unusual was that he was carrying a young child in his arms.   
  
Dave walked up to reception and carefully sat the girl on the counter. "Hey Randi," he called. "Is Cleo around?"  
  
"Exam one," replied Randi distractedly. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Dave with the girl, but the phone call she was taking demanded her complete attention.   
  
Dave grabbed a form from behind the desk and started filling it in. Carter was completing a chart at the other end of the desk. Hearing Dave's voice, he looked up and said, "Isn't she a little young for you Malucci?"  
  
"That's not funny Carter," said Dave without a trace of amusement in his voice.   
  
Carter raised an eyebrow at this. He had expected a better comeback from Dave than that. Shrugging, he returned to his charts. Glancing up a moment later he noticed the girl watching him. "Hello there," he said to her with a smile. "And what's your name?"  
  
The girl tugged at Dave's sleeve and looked questioningly at him. "It's okay sweetheart, you can talk to him. He's a friend of mine."  
  
The girl turned back to Carter and said self-confidently, "My name is Lillian Alexandra Quinn-Malucci. You can call me Lily, but not Lil. Lil's a baby's name."  
  
"I'm very pleased to meet you Lily. My name's John Truman Carter, but you can call me Carter."   
"Quinn-Malucci?" said Carter to Dave. "Is she a relative of yours?"  
  
Dave finished filling in the form and picked up Lily. "Actually she's my daughter. Catch you later Carter," and he walked off towards Exam one.  
  
Carter watched open-mouthed as Dave walked away with Lily. Turning to Randi, he said, "Did Dave just say that that was his daughter?"  
  
Randi nodded, for once stunned into silence.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Dave pushed open the door to exam one. "Hey Cleo can you take a lo...whoa, excuse me," he said as he saw Cleo and Peter kissing each other passionately. "We'll just wait outside until you're finished." He quickly backed out of the room, but not before Peter and Cleo overheard Lily say, "Daddy, why was he biting that woman?"  
  
Cleo and Peter had hurriedly separated when they heard Dave's voice. Once the door was shut again they resumed their necking. A few seconds later Cleo broke away abruptly and said, "Did that little girl just call Malucci 'Daddy'?"  
  
"Sounded like it," said Peter. They looked at each other in disbelief.  
  
"I'd better see what he wants," said Cleo, moving towards the door.  
  
"He can wait a few minutes longer," said Peter with a grin, pulling her back into his arms.  
  
Cleo kissed him, and then broke free. "I'll see you later," she said, pushing him towards the door.  
  
-----------------  
  
Dave carried Lily into Exam one and set her down carefully on the bed.   
  
"So, who do we have here?" asked Cleo.  
  
"Cleo, this is my daughter Lily. Lily, this is Dr Finch, she's going to find out what's wrong with you."  
  
Cleo noticed the slight flash of pride in Dave's voice when he said the words 'my daughter'. "Hello there Lily," she said with a smile. "And what's the matter with you?"  
  
"My arm hurts," said Lily, and popped her thumb in her mouth.  
  
Cleo looked questioningly at Dave. Dave slipped into doctor mode. "Five year old female."  
  
"Five and three-quarters," interrupted Lily.   
  
"Excuse me, five and three-quarter years old female. Sustained deep lacerations to her left arm in an MVA a week ago, and got some stitches put in over at Mercy. She's been complaining of pain around the wound."  
  
Lily tugged at Dave's sleeve. "I wasn't being a baby Daddy."  
  
"It's okay sweetheart, if something hurts you, you're right to tell me or your mom."  
  
"Anyway Cleo, her temperature was up this evening, so I thought I'd better get her checked out."  
  
Cleo nodded and scribbled a few notes on the chart. Turning her attention to Lily she asked, "Lily, is it all right if I take a look at your arm?" Lily nodded her assent.  
  
Haleh helped Lily remove her jacket and then unbandaged her arm. Dave watched anxiously as Cleo carefully examined Lily. It had been almost a week ago when he had gotten the phone call from a doctor at Mercy. The few seconds between the doctor telling him that Lily and her mother had been in a car accident, and then saying that their injuries weren't life threatening had seemed like an eternity to him. He been off-duty at the time and had rushed to Mercy on his bike, not caring how many rules of the road he had broken along the way.  
  
Melanie had broken her leg and was going to be in hospital for a couple of weeks. Lily had escaped with cuts and bruises and was only kept in overnight. Dave had insisted on taking care of her until Mel was ready to be discharged. Fortunately Mel had the services of a very reliable and flexible child-minder. It had taken a bit of juggling shifts, but so far all had gone well. That is until Lily started complaining that her arm was hurting. Rather than take her back to Mercy, Dave had decided that the reassurance of having his daughter treated by people he knew and trusted, far outweighed the amount of jokes and gossip he was bound to be subjected to once people found out about him and Lily. Dave was brought back to the present by the sound of Cleo's voice.  
  
"Sorry Cleo, what was that?" he asked.  
  
"I said, Lily's temperature is elevated. The skin around her wound is reddened, and there is localized tenderness and some swelling. I'm going to order some blood work, but it looks like it could be infected."  
  
"But I've checked it every time I changed the dressings. How could I have missed it?"  
  
Cleo looked at Dave's stricken face. "The bacteria would have entered her body when she sustained the injury. You wouldn't have seen anything until the infection reached the surface. Anyway, let's wait until the labs come back, and then we'll see how bad it is."  
  
Dave nodded his acknowledgement and then sat down on the bed beside Lily. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes and asked, "What's going to happen Daddy?"  
  
"Well, Dr Finch wants to test some of your blood, to see what's making your arm hurt. Haleh over there is going to take a little bit out of your arm."  
  
"Will it hurt?" asked Lily, trying to hide her fear.  
  
"It'll sting a bit when she puts the needle in," said Dave honestly. "But she's one the best there is, so it'll only hurt for a little while. Will you let her do it?"  
  
Lily nodded slowly, "But only if you hold my hand."  
  
"I'll be right here," said Dave, putting his arm around her. Lily buried her head in Dave's chest as Haleh quickly took the blood sample.  
  
"All done," she said with a smile.  
  
"Thanks Haleh," said Dave.  
  
"We should have the results in a few hours," said Cleo. "I'll be back as soon as they're in."  
  
"Thanks Cleo," said Dave as the two women left the room. Lily yawned as she watched them go. "You want to lie down and sleep for a bit?" asked Dave. "We could be here for a while."  
  
"Okay," said Lily, lying down on the bed. "Can I have Harry?"  
  
"Of course," smiled Dave, as he retrieved a battered looking Teddy bear from his backpack. Lily snuggled down with Harry, as Dave tucked the blanket around her.   
"Sleep well, Lily," said Dave, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Love you Daddy," whispered Lily sleepily.  
  
Dave smiled as he watched her fall asleep. No matter how often he heard Lily call him Daddy, the word still sent a wave of joy surging through his heart. "I'll make you all better Lily," he promised.  
  
----------------  
To be continued  
  
  
  



	2. Malucci and the Minor - 2

Malucci and the Minor part 2  
  
Previously on ER.   
Dave was looking after his daughter Lily, while her mother was in hospital recovering from a car accident. Lily was complaining of pain in her arm after the accident, so Dave brought her to the ER  
  
-------------------  
  
Dave watched the rise and fall of Lily's chest as she slept. It was hard to believe that it had been such a short time since he had found out about her.   
  
He remembered it as if it was yesterday.   
  
-----------------  
  
Melanie, an old friend of his, had phoned him unexpectedly one day. Dave hadn't seen her since they were in college together and since he was going to be in Chicago for an interview he readily agreed to meet her and catch up on old times.  
  
"You haven't changed a bit, Mel," said Dave with a grin as he gave her a quick hug before sitting down in the café. "Still as beautiful as ever."  
  
"And you still know how to flatter a girl, Malucci," said Mel with a smile. They had chatted about inconsequentials for several minutes before Dave asked, "So what about you, Mel, any jealous husbands or boyfriends I should be on the lookout for?"  
  
"Not at the moment, but I do have someone I'd like to tell you about." Reaching into her handbag, she produced a photo. "This is my daughter Lily," she said, handing the photo to Dave.  
  
"Your daughter? Hey, congratulations Mel," said Dave, looking at the photo of a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl. "She's beautiful. So who's the lucky guy?"  
  
"You are, Dave."  
  
Dave's smile died away as he stared at Mel.  
  
"You're her father Dave," said Mel anxiously, waiting for his reaction.   
  
"But how? I mean, we were careful. It was only once." Dave's mind was filled with a thousand questions.   
  
"I don't think I need to answer the how," said Mel in an effort to lighten the mood. "And we all know it only takes one time..."  
  
Dave looked at the photo again, trying to take it in. He and Mel had been best buds all through college. But one night, midway through their last semester, they had been more than just friends. Mel was depressed after having being dumped by her boyfriend and Dave had just heard that he hadn't been accepted into any Med Schools in the U.S. The next morning they had decided that they were better off as just friends. A few months later Dave was headed to Grenada and Mel was off to Law School.   
  
A sudden thought struck Dave. "Mel, please don't hate me for saying this, but are you sure she's mine? I mean, I'm not accusing you of anything, but you were with Tony for months, and we were only once, and..." Dave's voice trailed off.  
  
"But what a once," said Mel. "I don't blame you for asking. I probably would if the positions were reversed." She sighed. "When I first found out, I assumed that Tony was the father. I didn't tell him because, well, because I'd decided to have the baby adopted, and I didn't want him or anyone else to know."   
  
"What changed your mind?"  
  
"There were complications, and Lily was born prematurely. She fought so hard to survive; I just knew I couldn't give her up. Then when they were doing the usual tests on her, I discovered that her blood group was the same as yours and not Tony's. There was no way he could be her father, and there was no one else, I promise you Dave."  
  
"I believe you," said Dave. He remembered back in college there had been a blood drive and Mel had pestered everyone in their gang until they had agreed to donate. Tony had been B-, Mel had been O- and Dave had been A+.   
  
"I know blood tests aren't conclusive, so I won't object if you want a D.N.A. test done."  
  
Dave looked at Mel uncertainly. She continued. "That is if you want to be a part of her life. I haven't asked you for anything before and I'm not going to ask now. If you want, you can get up from this table and walk away. I won't follow you and I won't contact you again. I would like my daughter to have her father in her life, but I'm not going to force you. It's your decision, Dave."  
  
Her speech made, Mel dropped her gaze from Dave's face. She had been planning her words for weeks now, ever since she had decided that Lily needed to know her father. Now that the truth was out, she was anxious to know what Dave's reaction would be. The touch of Dave's hand on hers startled her out of her reverie.   
  
Dave looked her straight in the eye, "Did you really think that I'd just walk away?"  
  
---------------------  
  
The sound of a door opening brought Dave back to the present day. He smiled as Kerry limped in. "Hey, Chief," he said softly.  
  
Kerry crutched her way over and sat beside him. "So, this is Lily?" she asked.  
  
"Yep, that's my girl," said Dave looking affectionately at Lily's sleeping form.   
  
"You should have told me you were here. I only found out when I overheard Randi and Carter talking."  
  
"Didn't want to bother you." Before this night Kerry had been the only person in the ER who had known about Lily.  
  
--------------------  
  
A week ago, after Dave had been reassured that both Lily and Mel were going to be fine, he had told Mel that he would take care of Lily until she was fit again. He quickly realized that it was going to be necessary to rearrange his schedules. Not wishing to wait until morning, he had persuaded Andrew to give him Kerry's address and headed for her house.   
  
Ringing on her doorbell, it occurred to him that waking the chief at three in the morning, may not have been the best idea he had ever had. But by then the lights had come on in the house and it was too late to change his mind.  
  
-----------------  
  
Kerry limped downstairs, grumbling to herself, wondering just who the hell was ringing her doorbell at three in the morning. She looked through the spy-hole. "Malucci?" she said to herself, "What the hell?"  
  
Flinging open the door, she said, "Malucci, this had better be important."  
  
"It is, Chief," replied Dave. "I need to talk to you, it's really important."  
  
Kerry realized that it was raining heavily, and that Dave was soaked through. "You'd better come in," she said.  
  
"Thanks, Chief," said Dave as he followed Kerry into the kitchen. He sat at the counter in silence as Kerry put the kettle on.   
  
"Drink this," ordered Kerry, putting a steaming mug of tea in front of him.  
  
"Thanks, Chief," said Dave, sipping it gratefully. He hadn't realized how cold he had become.  
  
"So Malucci, what the hell was so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"  
  
"I need to rearrange my shifts so I'm not working nights or weekends for the next few weeks," said Dave.  
  
Kerry put down her mug with a thump, slopping tea onto the counter. "You come over to my house and wake me in the middle of the night, just to get your shift changed?" she said incredulously.   
  
Dave nodded.  
  
"Why? And this had better be good."  
  
"I need some extra time off.....to look after my daughter."  
  
Kerry choked on her drink when Dave said this. She coughed and spluttered for a few minutes, waving aside Dave's offer of assistance. When she had recovered, she said, "Did you just say 'your daughter'?" Dave nodded.  
"I think you need to explain what's going on."  
  
Dave quickly filled Kerry in. "So you see, Chief, I can't look after Lily if I'm working the shifts I'm listed for."  
  
Kerry nodded. "I understand. But what I don't understand is why you've never mentioned her before."  
  
"I'm not ashamed of her," said Dave quickly. "I love her. Hell, she's the reason I took the residency program in Chicago instead of New York. I wanted to be a part of her life, to make up for the years that I missed out on."  
  
"It's okay, Dave," said Kerry, patting him gently on the hand. "I wasn't accusing you of anything. I was just curious."  
  
Dave sighed. "You know what the ER is like, the way gossip gets spread around. I just didn't want it to be like that with Lily."  
  
"I understand," said Kerry thoughtfully. "So do you have a picture of this daughter of yours?"  
  
A smile lit up Dave's face as he pulled Lily's picture out of a battered wallet.   
  
"She's beautiful," said Kerry, smiling.  
  
"Takes after her mother."  
  
----------------------  
  
"How's she doing?" asked Kerry, indicating the sleeping child.   
  
"Cleo thinks her wound might be infected," said Dave unhappily. "We're just waiting for the blood work to come back."  
  
"I'll get on to the lab, see if I can speed it up a bit."  
  
"Trying to get rid of me already?"  
  
"One Malucci a day I can handle. Two of them, I don't know," said Kerry, smiling at him.  
  
Lily shifted position in the bed and opened her eyes. "Mom?" she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.  
  
"No, Lily," said Dave. "This is Dr Weaver; she runs the ER."  
  
"With a little help from your father," said Kerry. "Hi there Lily."  
  
"Hello, Dr Weaver," said Lily, sticking her thumb in her mouth. She thought for a moment and then said, "My daddy's a doctor too."  
  
"Yes I know. He works for me."  
  
Kerry pushed herself up from the chair. "I'll get onto the lab Dave. See what's keeping them. Lily, it was very nice meeting you."  
  
"Bye," said Lily.  
  
"Thanks, Chief," said Dave as Kerry left the room. "So kid, do you want to go back to sleep, or will I read you a story?"  
  
"A story, please."  
  
"Move over, then." Dave pulled out a book from his backpack and sat on the bed. Lily climbed onto his lap and he put his arm around her and started reading.  
  
-----------------------  
  
to be continued.  
  
  
  



	3. Malucci and the Minor - 3

Malucci and the Minor part III  
  
Previously on ER.  
  
Dave was looking after his daughter Lily, while her mother was in hospital recovering from a car accident. Lily was complaining of pain in her arm after the accident, so Dave brought her to the ER. Dave had only found out about Lily a little over a year ago, and she was the reason he was doing his residency in Chicago.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Kerry stopped Cleo as she was heading back to exam one. "Have Lily Malucci's test results come back yet?" she asked.  
  
Cleo nodded. "It's a minor infection. I'm giving her a script for some higher strength antibiotics and a topical cream. That should clear it up."   
  
"Good," nodded Kerry. She was about to say something more when they heard the familiar sounds of an incoming trauma.   
  
"Cleo," called Carter, as he ran alongside the gurney. "We've got a ten year old, hit by a car."  
  
"I'll take care of Dave and Lily," said Kerry, "you take this one."  
  
Cleo nodded and handed the script to Kerry before running after the gurney. Kerry carefully checked what was on the script. She knew that Cleo was unlikely to make a mistake, but she wasn't taking any chances.  
  
Pushing open the door to exam one, she was greeted by a 'shh' from Lily, who was sitting up on the end of the bed reading her book. Dave was fast asleep at the other end.  
  
Kerry walked quietly up to the bed. Lily looked up at her and said, "Daddy fell asleep."  
  
Kerry nodded. She knew how hard Dave had been working over the last week taking care of Lily, visiting Mel in hospital and doing a full days work.   
  
"Would you like to take a walk around the ER while your Daddy's asleep?" she asked.  
  
Lily considered the offer. Her Mommy and Daddy had both warned her about strangers, but this was Daddy's boss and she had been introduced to her.   
  
"Okay," she said, scrambling down off the bed. "But what if Daddy wakes up and I'm not here?"  
  
"I'll leave him a note to let him know you're with me," said Kerry. Taking out her note-pad, she quickly scribbled a note. 'Dave, I'm giving Lily a tour of the ER. Be back soon. Dr Kerry Weaver, Chief of Emergency Medicine'.  
  
"There," said Kerry as she left the note beside Dave. "Now he won't be worried when he wakes up."  
  
Lily walked over to the door. Kerry was about to open it when Lily ran back to the bed and carefully tucked her teddy bear into Dave's folded arms. With an impish grin, she returned to the door. "Now Daddy won't be lonely when he wakes up."  
  
Kerry stifled a laugh as she followed Lily out the door.  
  
------------------  
  
"And this is the suture room," said Kerry. "When people get cut in accidents, this is where we put their stitches in."  
  
"I've got stitches in my arm," volunteered Lily.  
  
"How many stitches?" asked Kerry. She was enjoying their little tour of the ER.  
  
Lily thought for a moment, "Ten," she replied. "My Daddy said that when they come out, I can keep them as a reminder."  
  
"That sounds like your Daddy all right."  
  
---------------------  
  
The lounge was the next stop. Kerry opened the fridge. "There's not much of a choice, I'm afraid. But we have milk and fruit juice. Which would you prefer?"  
  
"Hmm, I'd like a cup of coffee please."  
  
Kerry looked up suspiciously. "Do your parents allow you to drink coffee?" she asked, thinking that if the answer was yes, then Dave was going to have a lot of explaining to do.  
  
Lily wrestled with her conscience. "No," she said reluctantly. "But my Daddy says I should always try new things when I get the chance." Her face had the same apparently innocent expression that Kerry had seen so often on Dave.  
  
"Nice try, Lily, but no chance," said Kerry with a smile.  
  
"Okay then I'll have milk."  
  
"Good," said Kerry, as she poured out a glass. "It'll make your bones nice and strong."  
  
Lily took the glass of milk and sat on the couch sipping it thoughtfully. Kerry poured herself a mug of coffee and sat down beside her.  
  
"Did you not drink your milk?" asked Lily suddenly.  
  
"What?" asked Kerry, puzzled.  
  
Lily pointed to Kerry's crutch. "Is that why you have that? Because you didn't drink your milk and your bones aren't strong?"  
  
"Did your father tell you to ask me this?" asked Kerry, suspiciously   
  
Lily shook her head. This time the expression of innocence on her face seemed legitimate. "He told me if I wanted to know something, I should ask."  
  
Kerry nodded, "The reason I use a crutch isn't because I didn't drink enough milk. When I was in high school, I broke my leg very badly. The doctors did their best but they weren't able to fix it properly, so I have to use the crutch."  
  
"My Mommy broke her leg," said Lily, thoughtfully. "Will she have to use a crutch?"  
  
"Probably for a little while when she gets out of hospital," replied Kerry, trying to remember what Dave had told her about Mel's injuries. "She'll have a cast on her leg until the bones heal. And when the cast is taken off, her leg will be very weak for a while. But once she gets the strength back in it, she won't have to use crutches."  
  
Lily nodded. "She has a big cast on her leg. She let me write on it. Daddy wrote something on it as well, but Mom made him scribble it out, before I could see it."  
  
Kerry looked at her watch. "It's getting late, we'd better get back to exam one, so you can go home."  
  
--------------------  
  
Dave slowly opened his eyes. Hmm, exam one, he thought as he took in his surroundings. Must be a slow shift if no one's woken me. Yawning, he stretched, knocking the both the teddy bear and the note onto the floor.  
  
Seeing the toy, he suddenly remembered what he was doing in Exam one.   
  
"Lily!" he exclaimed, sitting up on the bed. "C'mon kid, where are you?" asked Dave, as he looked around the room. "Oh crap," he thought, as he surveyed the empty room.  
  
"Don't panic, Dave," he told himself. "She's got to be around here somewhere. Probably just exploring," he said, while trying to suppress the rising feeling of dread.  
  
He cursed himself for falling asleep. He had promised Mel from day one that he would take care of Lily, and now she had disappeared on him.  
  
--------------------  
  
A year earlier.   
  
Dave looked Mel straight in the eye, "Did you really think that I'd just walk away? Did you honestly imagine that I'd abandon you?"  
  
Dave took Mel's hands in his. "You should have told me about Lily when she was born. I would have stood by you, helped you raise her. You shouldn't have had to do it alone."  
  
"You'd have come back from Grenada? Given up Med School?"  
  
"Yes," said Dave, without hesitation.  
  
"That's why I couldn't tell you. Dave, ever since I've known you, you've wanted to be a doctor. Going to Grenada was your only chance. I couldn't let you throw it all away."  
  
Dave started to speak, but Mel silenced him with a finger on his lips.  
  
"I know I should have told you; given you the chance to decide for yourself. I was wrong not to tell you."  
  
"So what's changed? I mean, you've had all this time to tell me, why pick now? Is it because I'm back in the States?"  
  
Mel was silent, not meeting Dave's eyes. "Mel?"  
  
"About a month ago, I was examining myself... and I found a lump."  
  
"Oh Mel, I'm so sorry."  
  
"It's okay, it turned out to be benign, but it started me thinking. I suddenly realized how unfair I was being to Lily. I know that if anything happened to me, that my father would take care of Lily, but he's not going to be around forever. I felt that Lily deserved to know her father."  
Mel looked Dave straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry Dave; I had no right to keep her from you. I just hope you can forgive me."  
  
"What's done is done. You made the decision you believed was right for you and Lily. I wish you'd told me earlier, but I'm glad you've decided to tell me now. I promise, I'll take care of her."  
  
-----------------  
  
"I promise I'll take care of her." The words echoed in Dave's head as he hurried over to the door. Lily was wandering around the ER, with an infected arm. God knows what sort of trouble she could be in.  
  
-------------------  
  
To be continued.  
  
  
  



	4. Malucci and the Minor - 4

Malucci and the Minor part IV  
  
Previously on ER.  
  
Dave was looking after his daughter Lily, while her mother was in hospital recovering from a car accident. Lily was complaining of pain in her arm after the accident, so Dave brought her to the ER. Dave had only found out about Lily a little over a year ago, and she was the reason he was doing his residency in Chicago. While Dave was asleep, Kerry took Lily on a tour of the ER.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Dave was almost at reception when he saw Kerry and Lily.  
  
"Lily," he exclaimed, running to her. Picking her up, he said, "I was so worried. Why did you leave the exam room? You know what I've told you about wandering off on your own."  
  
"I wasn't on my own, Daddy," said Lily, with confidence. "Dr Weaver asked me if I wanted to see the ER; and she wasn't a stranger cause you introduced her to me, so it was okay. I didn't do anything wrong, did I Daddy?" she looked up at Dave with her big blue eyes.  
  
"No sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong," said Dave, looking at Kerry. "Dr Weaver should have let me know that she was taking you."  
  
"Dave, I left you a note saying that Lily was with me," explained Kerry patiently. She could see how obviously concerned Dave was. "Didn't you see it?"  
  
"I didn't see any note," said Dave, his anger and worry starting to subside a bit.  
  
"She did leave it; I watched her write it," piped up Lily.  
  
"Guess I must have missed it somehow," said Dave. "Sorry Chief. I should have known you wouldn't do something like that."  
  
"It's all right, Dave," said Kerry warmly. "I can understand you being upset."  
  
Haleh was just passing. "Haleh," said Kerry, "Would you take Lily back to exam one for a minute. I'd like to have a quick word with Dave."  
  
"Sure thing Dr Weaver," said Haleh with a smile. "You going to come with me Lily?" she asked holding out her hand.   
  
Dave put Lily down on the ground. "You go with Haleh, I'll be with you in a minute."  
  
Taking Haleh's outstretched hand, Lily went off without a backward glance. Dave could hear her excited voice telling Haleh how interesting an ER was.  
  
Looking back at Kerry, Dave bit his lip. "What's up?" he asked apprehensively. "Did Lily's test results come back?"  
  
"Lily has a minor infection. Cleo thinks some higher strength antibiotics will clear it up. I would have woken you to tell you, but you looked as if you needed the rest. I'm sorry for worrying you Dave."  
  
"It's okay," said Dave, breathing a sigh of relief. "It's just when I woke up and she wasn't there...I don't know what I'd do if anything had happened to her."  
  
-----------------------  
  
A year earlier.  
  
"So," said Dave, when he and Mel had finished their coffee. "When do I get to meet her?"  
  
"Today, if you'd like to," replied Mel. "She's with a friend of mine in the park. I...I wasn't sure if you'd want to meet her, so I didn't tell her I was seeing you."  
  
"Does she know about me?" asked Dave, "I mean, does she know who I am?"  
  
Mel nodded. "I told her that her father is a doctor who works a long way away, and that's why she hasn't met him."  
  
"What were you going to tell her when she started asking questions?"  
  
"I don't really know, Dave," replied Mel. "I guess I was going to cross that bridge when I came to it. I know, I wouldn't have lied to her and if she had asked to meet you, I wouldn't have stopped her, I promise you that."  
  
"I know Mel," said Dave.   
  
They made their way to the park. Mel pointed out a small girl climbing on the bars.  
"That's Lily," she said softly.  
  
"Oh my God," said Dave, "That's my daughter?" He shook his head in disbelief. It was one thing to be shown a photo, but to actually see her in the flesh...  
  
"Lily," called Mel. Lily looked around, her face lighting up when she saw her mother.  
  
"Mommy," she called, scrambling down off the bars and running to Mel, followed by Mel's friend Ria. "Mommy, I drew a picture in school and the teacher gave me a gold star."  
  
"Did she now?" said Mel, giving Lily a hug. "And were you a good girl for Ria after school?"  
  
"She was a very good girl," said Ria.  
  
"Lily," said Mel. "I'd like you to meet a very special person." Taking a deep breath, she said, "Lily, this is Dave Malucci...he's your father."  
  
Lily looked at Dave suspiciously. "Where's your white coat and listening thingy?" she asked.  
  
"You mean my stethoscope?" asked Dave, crouching down so he was at Lily's eye level.  
  
Lily nodded. "I left it at home today, because I'm not working," said Dave. "And I don't wear a white coat. I wear a scrub top instead. Do you know what a scrub top is?"  
  
Lily shook her head. "It's sort of like a big t-shirt, and I wear it over my own clothes so they don't get messed up."  
  
"You mean like with blood and guts and icky stuff like that?"  
  
"Something like that Lily," said Dave with a grin.   
  
"Cool," said Lily, admiringly. She thought for a moment before asking, "Are you really my Daddy?"  
  
"Yes I am," said Dave. "I'm sorry I haven't been around before, but I'm gonna make it up to you, I promise."  
  
-------------------  
  
Dave and Kerry stopped at the door to Exam One. "Thanks Kerry, for all your help."  
  
"You're welcome, Dave," replied Kerry. "I had a very nice time with Lily. She's a lovely girl."  
  
"All thanks to Mel," said Dave, smiling. "She did a great job, bringing Lily up on her own for so long. I dunno how she managed. I mean, I've been minding her for a week and I'm run off my feet trying to keep up with her."  
  
"You're doing a great job Dave. Lily obviously adores you."  
  
"If I'm doing such a great job, then why didn't I notice sooner that her arm was infected?"  
  
"Because you were looking at her as a father, not a doctor," said Kerry. "You noticed it before it got too serious, you got her treated, and she's going to be fine."  
  
"But what if I hadn't noticed it?"  
  
"Don't torture yourself with 'what ifs' Dave. Take your daughter home and have a good nights rest, and I'll see you tomorrow."   
  
"Yeah Chief," replied Dave, as he went into Exam One.   
  
"You ready?" he asked Lily, who was sitting on the bed. She nodded, and he picked her up. "Let's go home then kid," he said, walking out of the room.  
  
"Goodbye Lily," said Kerry as Dave walked past her.  
  
"Bye Dr Weaver," said Lily.   
  
Kerry watched as they left the ER. Whatever Dave's uncertainties about his being a good parent, she could see that Lily had no doubts that he was the best.  
  
------------------  
  
THE END  
  
  
  



End file.
